At the Tuesday Sept. 6 meeting, the Costa Mesa City Council presented a commendation to Bryce Sheridan for his victory in the 49th annual Will Jordan Classic golf tournament at Costa Mesa Country Club.

A longtime Costa Mesa resident and graduate of Costa Mesa High School, Sheridan shot a seven under par for a gross score of 135 to win the tournament. 

Also at the meeting, the Mayor and City Council issued proclamations declaring September as both Hunger Action and Child Awareness Month.

Accepting the proclamation for Hunger Action Month was Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County Director of Programs and Services Ellie Dinh.

Accepting the proclamation for Child Awareness Month was Festival of Children Foundation Founder Sandy Segerstrom Daniels.

Last week, Costa Mesa Television (CMTV) produced programming received two national “Awards of Excellence” and three “Awards of Distinction” by the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA). 

The awards were announced as NATOA honored the winners of the 37th Annual Government Programming Awards (GPA) in conjunction with its Annual Conference in Denver, CO.

This awards program honors excellence in broadcast, cable, multimedia and electronic programming produced by local government agencies. This year NATOA received more than 800 entries submitted by local governments across the country.  

In addition to broadcasting all of Costa Mesa’s City Council, Planning Commission and Parks & Community Services meetings, CMTV produces programming about the people, places and events happening in the City of Costa Mesa. 

Programming is streamed live via the city website and Spectrum Channel 3, and nearly all of CMTV’s content can be watched on the City’s YouTube channel, which can be accessed here: https://www.youtube.com/user/CostaMesaTV/featured.

CMTV Programs were honored by NATOA in the following categories, with links to each winning entry provided below:

Diversity/Equity/Inclusion:

Award of Excellence: "Fighting For The Right To Fight - African American Experiences In WWII" City of Costa Mesa, CA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exoaEtcklVk.

Military:

Award of Excellence: "Fighting For The Right To Fight - African American Experiences In WWII" City of Costa Mesa, CA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exoaEtcklVk&t=120s.

Parks & Recreation:

Award of Distinction: "OCME Trestle Rebuilding Project At Fairview Park" City of Costa Mesa, CA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTCFRQHddDY&t=2s.

Arts & Entertainment:

Award of Distinction: "ARTventure 2021 - Best In Show 3rd Place Winner Jennifer Bloomfield" City of Costa Mesa, CA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkYgFmfSkoA&t=22s.

Overall Excellence:

Award of Distinction: "City of Costa Mesa - Overall Excellence 2021" City of Costa Mesa, CA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTvW1MZaMmc.

Click here for a full list of 2022 GPA categories and winning entries: https://assets.noviams.com/novi-file-uploads/natoa/2022_GPA_Winners.pdf.

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The Chamber of Commerce will be holding its annual State of the City Luncheon featuring Mayor John Stephens on Friday, Sept. 23, at the Costa Mesa Hilton from 11 a.m to 1:30 p.m.

Registration is now open so please visit the Chamber’s website at https://www.costamesachamber.com/ for tickets. 

ARTventure 2022 will be taking place at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts campus in the Samueli Theater.

The event, back in person for the first time since 2019, is Sept. 16 for the Gala & Awards Ceremony and Sept. 17 for the ARTventure Community Event and the SCFTA National Dance Day.

For more information please visit our webpage here. 

Crews will close the NB I-405 loop on-ramp from Harbor Boulevard for approximately six weeks as part of project improvements.

The ramp closure is anticipated as early as 10 p.m. Monday, Sept. 12, and is expected to open after approximately six weeks.

Sign up for project-wide and bridge-specific construction alerts at bit.ly/405-signup.

The City of Costa Mesa continues to get requests from the community about housing assistance. There are currently two active rental assistance programs that members of the public can take advantage of.

For households without minor children please contact:

Mercy House

Jose Salazar

714-836-7188 x205

[email protected]

For households with minor children please contact:

Families Forward

949-552-2727

www.families-forward.org

Interested parties should reach out to the providers directly. Flyers for these programs can be found here.

“One of the worst days in America’s history saw some of the bravest acts in Americans’ history. We’ll always honor the heroes of 9/11. And here at this hallowed place, we pledge that we will never forget their sacrifice.”

—President George W. Bush at the Pentagon in 2008

The Friends of the Costa Mesa Libraries hosted an unveiling ceremony for a permanent musical instruments installation behind the Donald Dungan Library at Lions Park on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022.

Watch CMTV - Costa Mesa Television's coverage of the dedication in its entirety and be sure to bring the family out soon to play and create some

music of your own!

See the complete unveiling ceremony here: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSABBHKf2Sk&t=18s.

If you haven’t yet had a chance to visit Heroes Hall's traveling exhibit, "Fighting for the Right to Fight: African American Experiences in World War II,” this week is your final opportunity to get over to the OC Fairgrounds and see this impactful showcase in person as its run concludes on Friday, Sept. 16. 

Produced by The National WWII Museum, the exhibit features artifacts, photographs and oral histories to highlight some of the extraordinary achievements and challenges of African Americans during World War II, both overseas and on the Home Front. 

Earlier this year CMTV Costa Mesa Television produced a video profiling this impactful display, and the coverage recently received two National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA) Government Programming Awards in both the Military and the Diversity/Inclusion categories. 

You can see CMTV's award-winning video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exoaEtcklVk&t=202s.

Costa Mesa's efforts to address homelessness continue to be a success. As of August 2022, 238 people have been housed, 10 more than the month prior.

The City of Costa Mesa’s Network for Homeless Solutions is a collaborative effort among City staff, volunteers, and nonprofit and faith-based organizations to address homelessness in our Community.

Through these efforts, individuals experiencing homelessness in Costa Mesa are connected to resources such as case management, employment assistance, housing navigation, and health care services.

Last week, Chief Ron Lawrence hosted a Recognition Reception to swear in the recent new hires and promotions and recognize special orders and retirements for the Costa Mesa Police Department.

The new hires include: Police Aide Daphne Gruenthal; Communications Officer Yessenia Preciado; Police Officers Jonathan Roman; Darren Troung; Bradley Nabong; and Nicholas Harbert. Officer Harbert lateraled from the La Palma Police Department. The police department welcomes you all to the team!

The recent promotions include: Records, Property & Evidence Manager Olivia Rogers; Animal Control Officer Laura Reeke; Police Records Bureau Supervisor Donna Hendrick; and Lieutenant Matt Grimmond.

Residents might recognize Lt. Grimmond, who was the Community Police Unit sergeant and part of many of the police department’s bike patrol social media posts. Lt. Grimmond comes from a law enforcement family; his great grandfather was a police officer, as well as his father, uncle, and brother.

A Special Order and Medal of Merit was presented to Police Officer Eloisa Peralta for her life-saving response to an active robbery involving a suspect armed with a knife. Her quick action to stop a stabbing in progress saved the victim’s life. Officer Peralta acted with valor and carried out her duties as a police officer during that March 2021 incident. The suspect in that incident was found guilty by a jury on April 14, 2022, of attempted voluntary manslaughter.

The Costa Mesa Police Department also bid farewell to Officer Trevor Jones, who recently retired after eight years with the department. Many Costa Mesa residents might have met Officer T. Jones, who was active in the community through the Community Policing Unit, community events, and school bike rodeos.

He was also known for his bike and skateboard tricks, which can still be found on the police department’s social media. The department thanks Officer Jones for his service and wishes him well in his retirement.

As the Labor Day weekend started, on Friday evening, Sept. 2, the Costa Mesa Police Department had a DUI and Driver’s License Checkpoint on 19th Street east of Pomona Avenue.

A total of 225 drivers were contacted and yielded:

• 16 drivers evaluated for possible impairment
• 3 DUI arrests
• 15 citations issued for driver’s license related violations
• 13 vehicles impounded

A total of 536 vehicles passed through this checkpoint. The Costa Mesa Police Department thanks all those that drove through and were patient.

These checkpoints are essential to keeping the community safe and informed. Officers look for impaired drivers and they also use these checkpoints to educate the community on the dangers of driving under the influence and the need to be responsible and plan ahead with alternative transportation when out drinking.

It’s a good reminder to everyone to keep the streets safe. Please do not drive under the influence and obey all traffic laws.

Funding for this checkpoint is provided to CMPD by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

After a long hiatus from Citizens’ Academy, it is now back starting this month. Interested residents or community members that work in Costa Mesa are welcome to sign up.

The Costa Mesa Police Department’s Citizens’ Police Academy starts in three weeks. Sign up as soon as you can online: it’s first come, first serve and there are only 25 spots available.

Interested citizens are asked to complete and submit an online application. As part of the Academy, participants get to go on a ride-along with an officer. Classes are interactive, you’ll meet the CMPD team, and learn all about law enforcement. Don’t wait, sign up today!

As a result of the increased temperatures and fire conditions, Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue (CMFR) was requested to pre-position our Type 3 (Wildland) Fire Engine and crew as part of a proactive regional Strike Team deployment, led by one of our Battalion Chiefs as the Strike Team Leader.  

The strike team was deployed and assigned to the Border Fire in San Diego County, near the Mexico border. As of Sept. 3, 2022, CMFR’s crew, CalOES

Type 3 Engine and CMFR Battalion Chief (Strike Team Leader) were demobilized from the Border Fire and immediately transitioned back in as part of the regional and statewide pre-positioned resource.

This Orange County Metro Cities Strike Team included crews from Anaheim, Fullerton, Laguna Beach and the City of Orange. 

On Sept. 4, 2022, they were reassigned and deployed to the Mountain Fire in Siskiyou County, near Weed CA, and west of the Mill Fire. 

CMFR is part of the California Master Mutual Aid System, which is a critical component to the management of regional, statewide and local major incidents. 

CMFR is closely involved in the dynamic and thoughtful decision-making, management and processes involved with deployment of mutual aid resources and this partnership assists each other on a statewide level, while also ensuring that our local communities remain protected and well prepared for any emergency.

Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue crews were requested and dispatched to the Fairview Fire, near Hemet in the early morning hours of Sept. 7, 2022. This deployment is part of a joint CalOES/Metro Cities and LA County Metro Cities Type 1 Strike Team.

This includes our Metro Cities partners of Huntington Beach, Anaheim, Fountain Valley and LACO Metro Cities partner Santa Fe Springs.

Additionally, CMFR’s Type 3 (Wildland) CalOES/Metro Cities Strike Team remain assigned up north to the Mountain Fire, with extreme fire and weather conditions. There are strong Red Flag conditions, thunderstorms and lightning strikes; however, our crews remain in strong spirits. 

As of Sept. 7, 2022, the Orange County Operational Area currently has a total five Strike Teams deployed up and down the state battling active fires that are currently burning. At this point, no other Strike Team resources will be deployed outside of the County to ensure they we maintain a strong countywide emergency resource coverage capacity.

The City of Costa Mesa remains fully staffed, operational and ready to serve.

Recently, Nurse Educator Patty Gleed taught all CMFR crews mandatory updates on policies and procedures related to emergency childbirth, pediatric care and other emergency procedures.  

OC Emergency Management System updates policies and procedures twice per year, and Costa Mesa must ensure our members are well trained on these changes and current. 

Recently with the extreme heat waves, Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue CERT volunteers supported City Staff who worked the cooling centers that have been opened to the community. 

Thank you to volunteers Dan Stack, Terri Fuqua, Bobbie Bradley , George Berg and Judy Takaya for their time assisting with registration, pet supply provisions within the center and being a line of communication for the residents who attended the centers. 

In addition, a huge thank you to the Parks and Recreation staff that came in over the Labor Day holiday to ensure the cooling centers were operational over the extended holiday weekend. 

The California Resource Recovery Association (CRRA), formally presented recycling and sustainability project awards at their 46th Annual CRRA Conference in Oceanside on September 7, 2022.

The City of Costa Mesa received the “Outstanding Construction & Demolition Award” for the successful “Contractor Self Haul Program” within the Public Works Department.

This award is competitive and honors a business, government agency or community based organization that has excelled in the reduction, reuse or recycling of construction and/or demolition debris.

The successful “Contractor Self Haul Program” in which the City was recognized was a collaboration between several city departments and supported by the City Council.

Public Works staff accepting the award on behalf of the City were Raja Sethuraman, Kathryn Cross and Melissa Acevedo (not pictured).

The renovation of approximately 8,000 square feet of turf in the small dog area at Bark Park began on Wednesday, Sept. 7. 

Therefore, the small dog area will be closed to the public for the next 4 to 6 weeks. A section of the large dog park will be fenced off in order to create a temporary small dog area for the duration of the project.  

The project will include soil remediation to help reduce the salinity, improve soil structure, oxygenation and water percolation. 

Kikuyu grass sod will be installed once the soil has been properly prepped. Kikuyu grass is expected to provide greater wear resistance given the high level of usage of this park.

As a designated “Tree City USA,” the City of Costa Mesa is committed to beautifying the community by planting new trees in public areas. 

The parkway along College Avenue adjacent to Killybrooke Elementary School was selected as an ideal location that would benefit from the addition of new trees. Twenty Crape Myrtle "Tuscarora" trees were planted early in September. 

These beautifully flowering trees will immediately improve the aesthetics of the area and will provide much-needed shade and reduction in surface temperatures. 

The Public Works Department is committed to enhancing the community and continuing its pursuit as a Tree City USA.

Fall in love with Skyhawks Soccer classes.

These popular classes are taught by skilled soccer instructors that will teach your young athlete how to dribble, pass and ball control. So, what are you waiting for? Sign up for this fantastic class today.

Register NOW at cmclassesonline.com.

*Parent Participation required for ages 2 through 3 and a half years old.  

Why pick one when you can have them all?

Skyhawks Multi-Sport programs are designed to introduce your young athletes to a variety of different sports. Students will learn the essential skills of soccer and baseball while engaging in teamwork, sportsmanship and life lessons that they will carry for years to come.

Register today at cmclassesonline.com.

Classes are held at Lions Park Event Lawn 1845 Park Ave.

Fall into action with Skyhawks Soccer classes.

These popular classes are taught by skilled soccer instructors that will teach your young athlete how to dribble, pass, and ball control. So, what are you waiting for? Sign up for this fantastic class today.

Register now at cmclassesonline.com.

Follow us this fall season and introduce your child to musical instruments and have the time of their lives.

Let them delight in the melodies and develop coordination through games, rhyming and fun instruments.

Parent participation is required.

Classes are held at the Balearic Community Center 1975 Balearic Drive.

Register today at cmclassesonline.com.

Grigory is a 10 year old, male, domestic short hair cat who is bonded with sweet Phoenix. Phoenix is a 10 year old, female, domestic medium hair cat. Both Grigory and Phoenix are elderly cats who would love to be adopted together.

They were found together as strays and have shown a great friendship.

Grigory and Phoenix are spayed and neutered, are up to date on their vaccinations and are ready to find their forever home.

If you are interested in meeting this bonded pair, they are located at the Orphanage in Costa Mesa.

For other adoptable pets, please visit www.pricelesspetsrescue.org.